Widespread body pain, sensitivities to nearly everything, fatigue and sleep disturbances…these are the common symptoms of fibromyalgia. It can be difficult to determine what would be an appropriate gift. I remember very vividly what it was like to have Fibromyalgia. Sometimes it hurt too badly just to lay down in bed. Here are some great fibromyalgia gifts that will give joy and comfort for years to come!Happy Heartfelt Holidays!

Super-Soft Microfiber Hooded Robe When you are too tired to get dressed and everything hurts this robe is like a gentle hug. The super soft microfibers will not irritate or itch. It keeps you warm without being heavy. Ahh! That’s better.

Wool Blanket(to go under the bottom bed sheet)Forget a scratchy wool blanket like your grandmother had! These blankets are very soft, but they go UNDER your bottom bed sheet.I used to have a heated mattress pad or an electric blanket, but I became concerned about potential exposure to harmful EMFs. With a wool blanket under my bottom sheet, there is no electricity to worry about and the bed stays warm, cozy and breathable.

BONUS IDEA:I would be shot by my publisher if I did not mention my book, which takes people on a step-by-step path for complete recovery from fibromyalgia and its coexisting conditions. I have been recovered from fibromyalgia for nearly 10 years now, and I am on a mission to help others do the same. Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery is available on Amazon or on my website www.TheFibroLady.com.

I remember the last year that I was really sick (highly symptomatic of fibromyalgia and coexisting conditions). I did not want to go to my in-laws’ house for Thanksgiving. I didn’t want to go anywhere for that matter, and I just stayed home all the time. It wasn’t just that one year; it was several years.

Holidays were a particular hell – I had to be present at a certain time, I had to spend a couple hours with people I only saw once or twice a year, I felt like I had to explain why I looked just fine but couldn’t work or do anything meaningful with my life, plus wear nice clothes and eat different food. Ugh! Let me go back to bed!

On that last year I was trying to tell my husband I wasn’t going to go to his parents’ house for Thanksgiving. My husband is a very sweet person, and he had put up with a lot with me being sick. He gave me this look like “unless you have to go to the hospital, you better go, don’t do this to me.”

Here in the US, some families take turns going around the table declaring what they are thankful for that year. When every fiber of your being is in pain, sleep has been elusive for years, and fatigue is crushing, it takes a lot more imagination to find reasons to be grateful.

How can I be grateful when I am so sick? Nothing seems good when looked through the lens of an intense illness. The more you need something, the harder it is to get, right?

You know how it is when you get around somebody that is really complaining, and it might be totally legitimate, but it can really bring the mood down. Then other people pipe in and start commiserating, and soon everyone is feeling really sour. This is an example of the principle of Law of Attraction, “like attracts like.” A negative thought attracts another negative thought like the fibers in a string of yarn until it becomes a rope.

Oppositely, when you focus on better feeling thoughts, you then start to attract more better feeling thoughts. Thoughts lead to feelings, and who doesn’t want to have good feelings?!

However, the truth of the matter is, you cannot go directly from being down and depressed to grateful and joyful. Or as Abraham-Hicks point out, “You just can’t get there from here.” And why would you want to anyway, what does it matter? What’s so important about gratitude? Why do we even have a holiday about this?

The fastest and most effective way to flip the switch on any kind of bad mood is to start counting your blessings, i.e., experiencing gratitude. When a person is down in the dumps, it takes some forethought to figure out what to be grateful for, but I have a simple method I learned from Abraham-Hicks: go general.

If you think about the specifics of your situation, you may very well not find anything to be grateful for, it may be just too raw for you to find anything. So to start (and I mean this is the start – not the end all, be all), start thinking about general things that are pleasant in your situation. Then those thoughts and feelings will start to attract more and more thoughts about even more and more positive aspects, and a positive spiral will start. When you get stuck, or a negative thought creeps in, and they will go back to a more general thought.

For example, I might be feeling pretty cruddy and just barely able to make it to the holiday dinner. How can I lift my mood or even begin to feel like I have gratitude? I start with something that is easy to be grateful for such as a pet. I think I am so grateful for my dog, she is such a comfort to me. Then I wait for a second or two for another positive thought. I’m glad I get to cuddle with my dog. As I am waiting for another positive thought, a negative one may creep in: but she needs a bath. Go back to general: I am so grateful that we have plenty of fresh, clean water. My dog loves baths, it’s so cute!

As you are thinking about your pet (or something else that is easy to think about), you may very well find your mood improves some. Then stay in that good mood for as long as you can and just focus on good feeling thoughts. When the negative thoughts creep in, just blow them off and don’t focus on them.

At this point you may have some ideas about how going to a holiday dinner might be bearable. Such as, hmm, I can wear something more comfortable, that way I may not tire out so quickly. Also, I can bring a cushion with me, that way the chair won’t hurt. I really appreciate how my mother-in-law hosts our family’s get together, she really cares about everyone being comfortable and happy.

You have to build up to the good feelings. Finding general things to be grateful for attracts more thoughts about what to be grateful for, for your specific situation.

So then what does gratitude do besides make you feel good? First, isn’t that great all on its own – any way to feel better, especially in the midst of soul-sucking pain, isn’t that enough all on its own?! In a very metaphysical way, gratitude attracts happiness and blessings the way a tuning fork, once struck, will turn on another tuning fork of the same note, that’s in its vicinity. Like attracts like.

About a month before that last Thanksgiving where I was so sick, I had started to meditate on “optimal health” which was the most audacious wish I could imagine. Within about two months I attracted the thought that I wanted to be happy no matter what the situation. I wasn’t one hundred percent, but my way of being changed so much so, that my husband thought my physical situation was improving. It hadn’t at that point, but that’s how big a difference changing my outlook made.

Within a year every single aspect of my life changed for the better: I recovered from fibromyalgia and the coexisting conditions I had, I lost over 70 pounds, I was able to get off all prescription drugs, and the miracle of miracles, I became pregnant (at 41 years old!). I know deep in my soul, that changing my outlook started the ball rolling, and attracted the people and things I needed to make the physical changes. I attracted happiness and blessings!

So what about you? What’s an easy subject for you think about? Do you love the crispness of the air this time of year? Do you love seeing how much the children have grown when everyone gathers for the holiday?

Also, what strategies have you come up with that help you get through the holidays with health and peace? Join the Freedom from Fibromyalgia: Fibro Natural Recovery Support group page (you have to request to join – there are all kinds of free resources in the Files section). I can’t wait to see you then!

In my Take Your Health Back Group Coaching Program I am regularly amazed by the people in it. Not only are they a positive group of individuals focused on recovering their health, but they also teach me about new information that I can then pass on to the rest of our amazing community, like this simple technique to reduce RLS.

RLS, or Restless Leg Syndrome, is a very common coexisting condition with fibromyalgia. So, after one has addressed things like:

adequate intake of the mineral magnesium, which almost everyone is deficient in (I like this lotion as it does not make my skin itch)

and other healing modalities such as stretching and diet, there can still be issues with RLS.

My client says when she is bothered in the evening with RLS she does this mindful meditation technique: she tenses the muscles in her legs for a few seconds and then releases the muscles. You may recognize this from different relaxation and meditation techniques. For a body-wide way to deeply relax, systematically go through muscle groups and tense them up, and then relax them. I like to start with my face, then move to my neck, down to my shoulders, etc.

In this specific RLS technique, she just focuses on the leg muscles, tensing and relaxing to sort of reset the muscles so that they stop twitching. If you try this let me know how it works for you.

Are you ready to transform your life? I have seen amazing results in my coaching program, and you may have noticed some of the success stories people post on our free FaceBook support group, Freedom from Fibromyalgia: Fibro Natural Recovery Support. Currently, I have openings for about 10 more coaching clients. If you are interested in seeing if this would be a good fit for you, click here.

I hope you had an awesome weekend! I had a fantastic weekend – we just adopted a kitten!! His name is yet to be determined, actually, we’re kind of arguing about it, but I will fill you in shortly. My little boy is over-the-moon happy! I will post adorable kitten pictures on the FaceBook group soon!

Have you ever heard about how your cell phone and your electronics can damage your health? I have heard vague things about this in the past, but I never could pin down what was going on and what I could do about it. I found out from my friend Risa Suzuki (bio below), with just a few small changes, people can sleep better, reduce sensitivities, and have more energy!

Did you know I used to have PTSD? It was a souvenir from my time in Bosnia. When I recovered my health from fibromyalgia, I used meridian tapping to get rid of the anxiety and PTSD. I still use it daily for everything – good and bad things, and I even have instructions for how to do this powerful tool in my book, Freedom from Fibromyalgia: 7 Steps to Complete Recovery.

A few months ago my massage therapist told me about a free resource, Tapping with Brad Yates on YouTube. He has over 700 short tapping videos on nearly any subject you can think of. I’m so impressed with Brad, that when I found out he was coming to Ohio I took my entire team on Friday to see him and learn to do this powerful yet easy technique to clear and strengthen one’s mind. Oh, and now I enjoy seeing fireworks shows again instead of feeling like I’m going to die. If you try it, let me know your results!

Risa Suzuki BIO

Risa Suzuki is the creator of the How to Reduce EMFs online course and programs. Risa helps people reduce EMFs in their homes to fight back against the health effects of EMFs so they can get better sleep, have more energy, and reduce sensitivities or triggers for people who already have health concerns or compromised immune systems.

I’m dedicated to bringing you great information that you can use in your life NOW to improve it. If there is ever a topic you would like me to write about, please reply to this email and let me know. Have a beautiful week!

I hope you are having a wonderful autumn/spring! The other morning, I was out walking my dog on her 20-foot-long trail leash and it was still fairly dark. There are no sidewalks in my neighborhood and there was a car parked on the street, so I had to walk in the grass to get around it. One wrong step, and before I knew it, down I went! I was ok, and, to my dog’s credit, she did walk back to check on me before resuming her walk.

(This is a picture from this summer of me and Annie with her trail leash, on a trail that had an osage orange tree tunnel.)

This event got me to thinking – ten years ago I would have never been out on a walk at 5:45 am, I would have never even had an athletic dog, and a fall, well, let’s just say it would ruin my day, if not the next two weeks. How my reality has changed! Because of my recovery, I’m not only able to be so active with my dog, but, because of the martial arts training I have been doing to “receive” the ground, I just rolled right out of it! I amazed myself!

I am writing to you about this to give you hope: recovery is not only possible – it’s within reach! I have actually been talking to people all over who have recovered, not only with my method but others as well. This week I will be doing a FaceBook Live video about “The Ways People Are Recovering from Fibromyalgia” on the free support group, Freedom from Fibromyalgia: Fibro Natural Recovery Support. It will air live at 2:00 pm Eastern Time on Wednesday, October 11th.

To join in, just request approval to the group, and once you’ve been approved go to the Files section to get your free MP3 of my guided meditation recording “Optimal Health,” which I sell on my website every day for $19.95. If you can’t make it live, no worries, as it will stay up in the recordings.

We are having a lot of fun in this group, and sharing a lot of tips and useful info too! Not only can I not wait to see you there, but I can’t wait to hear about YOUR recovery story!!

This is Leah McCullough, The Fibro Lady. I have been very busy with getting ready for the upcoming (2nd Annual) Telesummit, March 14-16th (more details to follow)!

I have also been busy helping my private coaching clients get amazing results and I wanted to share some of their “Life-Back” stories with you.

Staci (not her real name for privacy) was an exhausted grandmother who wanted nothing more than to play with and babysit for her 4-year-old grandson. Even though this activity brought her joy, it also brought her dread. Watching him would put her out of business for nearly a week.

What do my coaching clients experience?

When we first started, Staci was on multiple prescription meds and looking at getting on more for her ever-increasing list of ailments. I know that in my case before I recovered, it seemed like something on my body was falling apart on a monthly basis.

In the individual coaching program, I looked at Staci’s food, her supplements, and her medications to see where she could get started. I made an individual, strategic plan for her that went day-by-day, and week-by-week. She knew exactly what she needed to do each day. If she had any questions, she was welcome to call, email or text me.

At first, we met by phone every week for our 30-45 minute session. After she got into a new routine, we met every 2-3 weeks. We even met by Skype to do some individualized meridian tapping.

Look at Staci’s Results after ONLY 4 Months:

She was able to lose 25 pounds effortlessly

She came off 5 prescription medications (with the help of her doctor)

The constant pain in her stomach vanished

Most importantly: she got her energy and stamina back!

She was well on her way to complete recovery and taking her life back in just 4 months!

Due to a series of events, her son and her grandson came to live with her. She is now watching her sweet little grandson every day now and LOVING it. She was able to get the house ready for them, cooks dinner, and still have energy for her hobby of scrapbooking.

Staci’s wellness journey went really fast, even faster than my own journey of 7 months. With individual coaching, like I did with Staci, I can take you by the hand and walk side by side with you. You won’t have to feel alone and confused anymore.

Take Your Life Back!

If you’re one of the many people who would like to invest in a natural recovery method but has lacked direction, or if you are too exhausted to read or figure out how to implement anything in the book, and you KNOW it’s time for something more, this is EXACTLY the program you’ve been looking for.

You’ll have everything you need to get started – all the information, you get some bonus supplements, and all the support – my brain is on your case!

This is the most comprehensive system for fibromyalgia recovery and I have not seen one that produces the results like we’re seeing in our community.

At this point, you may want to investigate working with me on a one-on-one basis, and I would love to hear from you. Simply go to my calendar link below to schedule a 15 minute “Get to Know You Session” where we can explore together if this would be a good fit. You can tell me what’s going on with you and you will have the opportunity to ask me questions.

This offer is only available for a limited time

This is a very limited offer and right now. I only have space for a few more clients. If you are even considering this as an option for you, I want to encourage you to sign up now before all the spaces are gone.

I remember the day I thought I was completely recovered from Fibromyalgia. I had been doing the Healing Cleansereligiously for about a month, then one day, everything was clearer, the brain fog was gone. I could get out of bed. I remember thinking I felt better than most people who never had fibromyalgia. There was so much I wanted to do! I didn’t want to waste any more time since I had been sick for 20 years. So what was next? One thing that I was ready for was more energy!

Best Sources

I wanted to challenge myself and work harder. I wanted to make the most of every minute. I knew that drinks and supplements didn’t offer the kind of energy I was desiring. I wanted energy that would last and would improve my productivity, so I started searching. The source that made the most sense is a forgotten bodybuilding secret that has been replaced with powders and shakes. It’s the perfect “unconventional, traditional” source of energy….Liver! You don’t have to like liver to get it into your diet! I wanted energy so bad that I started finding ways to get liver into my diet that didn’t require “tasting it.”

Delicious Foods

My determination lead me to create multiple recipes that I would use throughout the week. I wasn’t just cooking for myself. My son and my husband had to like what I was cooking, so it was even more challenging. Once the recipes were “family-approved,” I would add them to the list of meals I could make regularly. My stack became so thick that I decided to put them in a book!

More than just Recipes

My new book Eat to Energize, not only has recipes, it also has other ways of getting liver into your diet that might be better for you, if you’re not ready for cooking, so don’t worry, you will find something in this book you can use!

Special Update!! Eat to Energize has now been critically acclaimed by The Weston A. Price Foundation! Get your copy and know you are making an excellent choice for you and your family!

This year’s circumstances came as quite a surprise. As a result of my recovery from fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, depression, etc., I became pregnant with my miracle baby. Now my “baby” is a seven-year-old little boy made of snakes and snails and puppy dog tails.

Unlike during the school year, my little boy woke up every day around 6 am ready to go-go-go! He went all day straight until bedtime. And he seemed to need my constant attention. I never knew someone else could get so bored that it was painful to me. (Here we are bouncing on the new trampoline!) In all honesty, we had a difficult time finding our groove during the first half of summer.

I decided to “give up” on getting much done, and I focused on enjoying the time with my son. Even though I had cut way back on work, I was able to help my private coaching clients have major breakthroughs with their health. (See the invitation below for a FREE initial consultation.)

We went on vacation to northern Ohio to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, swam in Lake Erie and toured Put-In-Bay. We got a season pass to a local amusement park and rode roller coasters every week. We also continued our martial arts training (I feel like such a bad-ass now!). All in all, we ended up having a marvelous summer!

If you would like to take your life back from the pain, fatigue and brain fog, why not join me for a FREE consultation?

During this special session we’ll work together to:

Create a crystal clear vision for the ideal life you’d be living with vibrant and vivacious health

We’ll uncover hidden challenges that may be sabotaging your efforts and keeping you sick

You’ll leave the session re-energized, inspired and ready to finally take control of your health once and for all

These sessions are for a limited time and spaces are limited. To connect with a time that works for you go to www.TheFibroLadyCalendar.com. Register today and start living your new life!

How to Cope with Fibromyalgia – NOT!

I don’t write a lot about coping with the symptoms of fibromyalgia for one main reason – I sucked at it! I did not “cope” very well at all. My life was a shambles, my pain was out-of-control, I couldn’t work, I could barely care for myself, and I was so miserable I didn’t want to live anymore. I felt a prisoner in my own body. Sound familiar?

I was just living a life of quiet (and sometimes not-so-quiet) desperation. I couldn’t see a way out. Now I know a way out, that has not only worked for me but others as well. I compare it to being lost in the woods: someone found a path out and led me out. I have now gone back to help others get out.

I don’t write about coping not only because I did not do it very well, but because I feel it’s a waste of time when I can tell you about recovering. Yes, you need strategies to help you in the here and now, but you can find them all over the internet. What is more unique are strategies for healing and recovery, so that is my focus.

I want to help you recover your health so you can do whatever it is you want to do in life. Maybe you want to lead people out of the woods too, or maybe you want to raise your children, finish school, or start a business. Whatever it is, it will be nearly impossible if all you can do is “cope.”

You don’t need to feel like a prisoner in your own body. For the last six years of my illness I was in bed 12-16 hours a day. I felt stuck. Don’t do like I did, get unstuck and take your life back.

So if you are wondering how to cope with fibromyalgia, I invite you to follow my “roadmap” for recovery from the symptoms of fibromyalgia and its coexisting conditions. You can read the first chapter of my book for free at http://unconventionaltraditional.com/my-story/ . I would love to hear your thoughts about it.

If it feels right to you, then I invite you to take a look at one of the many resources I offer, including the upcoming 3D Fibro Healing TeleClass. Our first class is free and it is on April 21st at 7pm EST. To get information go to www.3DFibro.com/optin .

I look forward to hearing about your recovery and what you do once you take back your life!

Got Seasonal Allergies? Try this Immune System Booster

About three months into my recovery from fibromyalgia, I started using Agaricus Gold and it turbo-charged my recovery! I had chronic, swollen lymph glands under my jaw bone that were so bad, that it looked like I had an orangutan double-chin (not pretty!).

The swelling subsided and that constant scratchy throat feeling went away. Not only that, but I started giving it to my husband eight years ago for his seasonal allergies. The first year he still needed the Zyrtec. The second year he only needed it occasionally. By the third year on he didn’t have seasonal allergies at all! They have remained gone all these years later and although he doesn’t take the Agaricus Gold regularly, just when he feels like he’s coming down with something.

This amazing mushroom has been known to have strong medicinal effects:

lowering blood sugar

strengthening bones

aiding in the digestive system

reducing blood pressure

boost heart health

lower the risk of cancer

promote immune function

ward off viruses, bacteria, and FUNGI

reduce inflammation

combat seasonal allergies

help balance blood sugar levels

support the bodies detoxification mechanisms

Improve your bodies’ defense against foreign invaders by enhancing the ability of macrophages, neutrophils and Natural Killer cells (NK cells) to fight a wide range of challenges such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. Agaricus Gold agaricus blazei mushroom extract is made from the mushrooms that contain the highest level of beta glucans, which are a polysaccharide compound, of all the medicinal mushrooms tested by far.

Lose Up to 15 Pounds in 30 Days Without Exercising, Starving or Stressing

Where’s Leah?

Healthier and Happier

I heard you speak in Northern Virginia in August, read your book, and then you and I talked on the phone. Fast forward about six weeks, and I am sooooo much healthier and happier! I have been using your products and eating as you suggest, and I’ve experienced nothing short of a miracle!

Nancy

A Wonderful Book

This is a wonderful book that gives you steps on how to get healthy and rid yourself of the symptoms of fibromyalgia. It also has good information in general for anyone suffering from a chronic disease. I recommend it to my patients with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, depression, and PTSD.

Elizabeth Case, MD

Love can survive Fibromyalgia

I can see a huge light at the end of the tunnel. I am following Leah’s protocol and I am excited. Now my husband and I can go for a coffee, small but like gold to me – and also walk along the Bay with our two Mini Schnauzers. Love can survive Fibromyalgia, however, you have to understand and appreciate how hard it is for your partner. Love to all.